


After-Math

by LadyIze



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Bi Kimberly Hart (Power Rangers), F/F, Gay Trini (Power Rangers), Power Ranger zords, Power Rangers (2017) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-10-29 16:37:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10857900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIze/pseuds/LadyIze
Summary: Kimberly finds Trini after their battle with Rita.  [I'm really bad at summaries.]





	1. Right at the end, I find our beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> The usual disclaimer... I do not own PR. My first time to write a PR fanfic, but I'm a dead shipper of Kimberly and Trini based on the film. The sexual tension between these two in the movie can cut through satin.

Feeling the zords settle down to rest deep within the cave, each ranger bids their gratitude to their respective dino zord partner as they relish their moment of victory over defeating Rita. Yes, there will be others who will come and try to take the Earth’s crystal, but for now, the teenagers are finally catching their breaths as the thoughts of their own families, friends, and loved ones come to mind. The concept of near-death experience slowly dawning on each of these super-powered teenagers had taken its toll as understood gazes were shared amongst them as they call off their armors to return back to their civilian clothing.

“Hey guys, I’m gonna go home and check on my mom.” Zack finally breaks the comfortable silence. 

“Affirmative.” Billy agrees, looking around their group. “I’m sure my mom’s having an anxiety attack of her own.” He adds. 

Jason nods at the guys, remembering how his own father drove right into the middle of the battlefield looking for him. “Not bad for our first job. You guys all did great. Let’s go home.” As they all make way out heading off towards the quarry.

Trini stays glued right where she was standing. Her eyes are locked onto her saber-toothed tiger as she hears a faint growl coming from her zord. Her thoughts visit to a time when she was thrown off by Goldar. She had felt the piercing pain as her zord hit the mass rubble of the ground. And once again, the pain became clearer just about the time they were pushed down the pit. She winced at the thought to what her tiger went through. 

Kimberly notices the unmoving Trini, staring at the saber-tooth, as she walks out with the guys. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.” She calls out to Zack, Jason, and Billy. Jason gave her a smirky wave, signaling his understanding. And she watches the guys leave. 

Kimberly rests her eyes on the only other girl ranger. A faint smile threatens her lips as she eyes the oblivious Trini. _She’s tiny, she’s tough, brash, and determined._ Kimberly’s thoughts follow the girl standing in place. She bites back her musings as her eyes follow the frame of her loyal and brave yellow ranger. _All the perfect curves in all the right places._ Kimberly snaps her fantasies back in check, reminding herself that this is not the time and place for such thoughts. There will be more time for that later. 

Quietly coming up behind Trini, she slowly wraps her arms around the smaller girl’s waste, holding Trini close against her, swaying, feeling the yellow ranger’s heat against her own. Kimberly feels Trini lean and relax back into her arms, savoring their platonic closeness before leaning forward against the crook of Trini’s neck and whispers “They are an extension of us, you know. We feel what they feel. Watch.” As she turns Trini’s attention to her pink pterodactyl barely lifting itself off the ground, moving closer next to the tiger to calm the yellow zord a bit. 

Trini finds herself whimpering at the feel of the pink ranger’s breath against her skin, slightly moaning “don’t tease…”

Then and there, Kimberly attuned to the feelings that had been warring within her. No other person will ever come this close to her. No other human touch will ever lay a hand on her body. Her resolve, absolute without a doubt, that her feelings for her fellow ranger runs deeper than she had let on. More than just teammates, more than just classmates, more than this… closeness. Of all the faces that flashed before her eyes while she was getting crushed by Goldar, it was Trini’s that kept her at bay. Kimberly had found her reason and her strength, at that very moment, from the yellow ranger maneuvering her own zord. The smile, warm and all encompassing, coming from that tiny, reserved girl. The giggles, the pouts, the sassy remarks, she wanted to see more, hear more, feel more of them, and she would be a fool to let some green powered woman take that dream away from her. 

It was no longer just the petty crush she harbored for the tiny girl. Oh no. This was a downright need. The intense need to have Trini in her life. 

A new awakening of a love, unconditional and limitless, went laser-focused towards this girl in her arms. Kimberly allowed a single tear drop to run at the realization that she will fight and defend this world where Trini exists. 

Feeling Kimberly stiff behind her, Trini reached her right arms back over the head, lightly cupping the taller girl’s face. 

“What are we doing, Kim?” Trini asks, barely an audible whisper. 

This was it. Kimberly’s perfect opportunity to answer that one single question with all that she’s got. Her mind raced through all the ways she could confess her feelings towards her fellow ranger. She could feel the pounding of her heart against her chest. 

“How about we go check in with our families, and I’ll keep my window open so you can stay with me tonight.” Kimberly settles for a friendly reply, lest she scares her friend with the intensity of her emotions. 

Trini turns around in the pink ranger’s arm, facing Kimberly. The shorter girl wraps her arms around, behind Kimberly’s neck. She locks her gaze into the deepest brown eyes she’s ever seen, and with a slight smirk on her face, she eases off her friend’s worried look. “You’ve been listening to that one song Say Nothing by Naomi Scott way too much.” Trini comments nonchalantly. 

These light-hearted words brings out the sweetest chuckle Trini has ever heard from Kimberly. 

Trini slowly slides her hands back down from Kimberly’s shoulders as she took the taller girl’s hands into her own, lacing their fingers together, as she leads them out of the cave.

“C’mon, princesa. The sooner we check on our family, the faster I can finally come home to you."


	2. Just when I thought I was in control, there you are, leaving me carried away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes from Kim's perspective. Kim has to learn to control her emotions, especially when they manifest through her Pterodactyl's behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same notes... I do not own PR. I'll figure out how to manage this Kimberly/Trini obsession that I've got.

Kimberly

In time, 3 weeks to be exact, Kimberly has managed to get a grip on the budding emotion she holds for her fellow ranger. It was the way she has heard Trini replied to Zack’s comment, “Yeah, girlfriend problems” that made her heart skip a beat for the first time. For crying out loud, she hardly knew the girl. But for some reason, there was a magnetic pull every single time she laid her eyes on Trini. 

Looking back into the day after their so-called “van-accident-that-never-happened,” Billy, Jason and Kimberly decided to go back to the mines where they found their colored coins, only to find Zack still hammering rocks with pickaxe on hand. And right there, Kimberly’s eyes caught a quick glimpse of the tiny girl with a backpack. One word, just one lousy word, had driven the girl scaling the rocks at an inhumanly impossible speed. And the moment her eyes had registered the fact that Zack was running after Didi, was it?, her body reacted before her mind can make sense out of things. Out of nowhere, Kimberly finds herself jumping through rubbles, and more than determined to catch up to the girl before Zack does. _Isn't way too early to be this much jealous?_

“Just talk to me.” Smooth Kimberly Hart, real smooth. 

Kimberly cringes at the choice of her first words at the girl. What was she going to do when the smaller girl asked her a question? What was she going to say? She, herself, didn’t know what was happening, apart from the changes that was going on within her mind and body. What can she possibly offer the other girl?

Even though she was just as clueless as the look on everyone’s faces at that time, her offer to support, to listen, to get to know this “girl-who-sported-the-beanie-on-a-sunny-day-that-no-one-else-can-pull-off” came off right without a second though. It was almost, a natural reflex. 

And then, there were the numerous times when she knew Trini was obviously flirting with her.

“Kim!” Trini’s voice snaps Kimberly out of her day dream. 

“Yes, I’m done with my bio homework.” Kimberly tried to save her embarrassment at being caught not paying attention.

“Yes, because at some point, your bio homework has everything to do with this quadratic equation that will show up on your trig midterm test, Miss-I’m-done-with-my-bio-homework. I’m not studying for your test, you know. And I’m definitely not taking your test for you. So, either pay attention to these formula or start feeding me.” Trini’s smartass remarks never fail to make Kimberly blush.

“Sorry, I’m fine. I just had some things in mind. I’ll get some chips from the panty… I mean pantry. yes, the pantry. down there... I mean in the kitchen - nevermind.” Kimberly has never stuttered in her life, and she could swear that she can feel her cheeks burn as bright red as Jason’s armor. She heads out towards her door when she hears Trini’s last brassy comment “I said start feeding me. I didn’t say food now, did I?” _Oh God, that grin._

’THUMP’

And Kimberly Ann Hart meets the wall of her room as she turns back towards her door. Trini’s laugh filled the room as Kimberly, rubbing the spot on her forehead that got hit, stared at the yellow ranger on her bed, arms on her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. “I’m glad you find this amusing.” She chuckles as she heads out to her kitchen, grabbing Pringles and iced tea off the pantry.

And then, there was that one moment that she thought she had erased from her memory. Kimberly snuck in Jason’s room. Her main concern was that she was the reason the team wasn’t able to morph into their armor. The talk was mellow, and Jason was a good listener. Jason had provided the words to soothe her worry. And just like how everything had started creeping up into her life out of the blue, she had felt Jason’s chapped lips against her own in a short, chaste kiss. She had leaned in and kissed Jason back. To say thank you, perhaps? Or maybe to figure her feelings out?

“Jase, I’m - That kiss…” Kimberly breaks the uncomfortable silence that enveloped them.

“… wasn’t meant for me, Kim.” Jason gives her a faint smile, telling her that it was okay. The kiss had been awkward and out of place. 

And her mind plays those words, from Trini’s lips yet again, “yeah, girlfriend problems.”

But would Trini accept her, flaws and all, especially what she had done to Amanda? Would Trini be willing to take their friendship to a whole new different level, knowing the pain that Kim had caused her old friends?

Now, here she is. Sitting on the ledge of where she and Trini made that jump not so long ago. This place only serves to remind her of how this whole debacle of being super heroes started. 

Yet, that magnetic pull just keeps growing stronger, more intense, and all-consuming. 

She has allowed for things to run its own course. The nights they studied for their classes together, slept together in each other’s bedroom, went on their coffee hangouts, practiced sparring together, and so much more. It all - just happened, like they were suppose to happen. There was never any pretensions, and being with Trini became so easy. Kimberly had allowed herself to fall in love with her best-friend, without any reservation. 

With a deep sigh, she let herself go off the ledge and made her splash down into the cavern pool. She made her way through the cave and found where their zords were resting. 

Sitting on a rock, she kept her eyes on her pink pterodactyl, which was resting on its normal spot. The pink zord slightly lifts itself up, just a bit, acknowledging Kimberly’s presence, before resting back down on the ground. Kimberly tilts her head a bit to steal glances at the yellow tiger laying down. She smiles as she remembers the look Trini had when Kim first saw the smaller girl staring at the tiger zord. Has it been 3 weeks already since they defeated Rita?

Kimberly closes her eyes and takes another deep breath, reliving the most recent event that had pushed her to this moment in her thoughts. It was only yesterday when another attack by one of Lord Zed’s monsters hit Angel Grove. 

_”Kim, I need you to cover Billy from his right.” Jason makes the call._

_“I’m on it, Jase. Billy, get your artillery ready.” Kimberly gives her instructions to the blue ranger._

_“I can’t hold on much - ahhhhhhhh“ Kimberly’s attention quickly shifted as she listens to their headphones to where she can see the yellow saber-toothed tiger, falling back from being thrown off by the giant monster._

_“Trini, I got you!” She can hear Zack calling out to Trini. But she failed to hear Trini’s response._

_“Kim, Billy, charge in.” Jason finally calls to her and the blue ranger to attack the monster._

_And that’s when it all happened._

_Kimberly had started to pilot her pink zord, only for her to lose control of her pink pterodactyl. She had maneuvered her zord to cover Billy’s attack, but she ended up finding herself picking up the saber-toothed tiger instead and flew the other zord out of the monster’s aim attack. She had never thought her own zord could fly as fast as it did, almost breaking the speed of light, and even more so, without Kimberly’s pilot control._

_“Kim, what’s going on?” Zack asks out through their intercom._

_“I don’t know, guys. Zack, you will need to cover Billy’s attack. None of my pilot controls are responding.” And she watches as Zack and Jason fight with Billy._

_She felt her own zord lower the yellow tiger down on the ground, safe from the attacking monster. “Trini, can you hear me?” Kimberly asks through their intercom, panic arising. She was sure enough that the other rangers can hear her._

_“Thanks, pinky. Just a little shaken up. I’ll be okay once this is over and done with. Now let’s go kick this monster’s ass.” Trini replies._

_And with that, Kimberly found her pilot control back and followed Trini to help the guys._

Coming back to her present thoughts, she can still hear Jason telling her to figure out how and why she had lost control of her own zord. She slowly gets up from the rock where she had found her temporary comfort and slowly strides towards her pink zord partner. 

Kimberly gives her zord a gentle pat, fully knowing the “why” part of her losing control. The “how” is a completely different story of its own. 

She knew. Kimberly knew. That in all the things that exists in this world, it’s Trini’s safety that comes first in her priorities. And seeing how the yellow zord was thrown off and no response from Trini when Zack made his comment, that - itself - was the stronger force to pull Kim from anything she’s doing to make sure Trini is safe and sound. 

“Yes, I know. We both have a lot of work cut out for us, right?” she chuckles to her zord. 

And to think that she has gotten a grip on these feelings. 

She says her goodbyes for the day to her zord and walks out of the cave, heading back home. Some rest and relaxation will do her some good. 

Not a minute after, a faint shadow behind a tall rock makes its move, heading down a path of its own. The yellow tiger slightly opens one of its eyes, only to close it back again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trini's POV coming up soon! Thank you all for reading.


	3. When Destiny stares at you...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trini reflects on her time at angel Grove. And for once, she has a reason to stay at a place where she has found her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive the length of this chapter. I did not have the heart to break it in 2 separate posts.

Trini 

The first time Trini came across the concept of being connected to a giant mechanical ride was from a talking robot. Scratch that, the talking Android gets a bit offended when being referred to as a Robot… Alpha it is. That little bit piece of information sounded just as serious and full of sincerity as when she had mentioned she was pretty sure she’s a super hero right in front of her family. At the end of all this amazing family-meal talk, she had gotten a urine test cup. _This is the good life. Yeah, okay._

This was the life that Trini had known. 

She did say three schools in three years. She had been on the receiving end of her mom’s constant disapproval of everything she does, from the way she wakes up to her choice of clothing, crushes, actions, friends, or just about anything she picks and chooses, her trusted beanie to be specific. It wasn’t always like this. She used to be a lot closer and more open with her parents until she noticed that while her friends went crazy over boys, she can only think about the cutest girl in her class. It wasn’t until her parents decided to move to a new place to live simply because Trini was getting a little bit way too close, for a friend, to a girl in her homeroom class. It wasn’t until her mom had seen Trini give this same girl a quick peck on the girl’s lips as Trini was getting picked up after school. 

The next thing Trini knew, she was on her way to Church that following Saturday to make a confession at her mom’s request. 

_“Mija, you know it’s not appropriate for you to be having these fantasies about girls.”_

So, she did. And for the life of her, she really couldn’t understand what she did wrong. It wasn’t like she chose to have a crush on her friend. But to appease her mom, she went with the program. After that incident, she finally became this “stranger” in her house, as her mom would put it.

Trini had managed to figure out a couple of tips and tricks to get her parents off her case. It’s not like she’s a prodigy like Billy, but her top grades in school allow her to push her curfew until 1am. Her silence, in most family dinnertime, saves her from further scrutiny from her mom. It can be a bit confusing at times when her mom would ask her about her day but then would flip when she shared how her day went. Was it to have friends? Or only to have friends that her mom would approve of? Although she has to admit, her dad seems to be a bit more understanding, giving her a nod and a smirk here and there. Apart from this “abnormality” that Trini’s mom has a problem with, she has pretty much gotten into the habit of packing up and finding herself in a new city every year. Actually, that’s every year her mom thinks that she’s getting close to a friend or the term “girlfriend” no longer meant a friend that’s a girl.

Her mom’s not all that bad, if you ask Trini. She knew that her mom only wanted the best for her. Her mom has always been the “socially presentable” part of her. When Trini has bad hair-day problems, her mom was always around to help her out. Of course, her first choice would just to put on her beanie, and everything’s fine. Or when she had no clue how to pick the right shoes for a dress because she had gotten extra comfortable with her only pair of worn out Chuck Taylor’s. It would always come down to her mom’s phrase “what would other people think?” that almost sounded as if it was on repeat 1 on her music playlist.

But, Trini had gotten used to this routine. In the past three years, maybe just a little bit longer, it was move into a new city, stay invisible in the new school, get top grades but don’t get too close to friends, and repeat. For the most part, it was bearable. She really didn’t have any reason to rebel. She would find a hangout place in the new city where she can listen to her music, focus on school work, and not have to worry about this thing called friendship. 

And then Kimberly Hart happened. 

Actually, thanks to Billy Cranston, Kimberly Hart happened. 

Come to think of it, that’s not entirely true. Even before Billy Cranston blew up a part of the mine that contained their colored coins, she had noticed Kimberly in one of her classes. I mean, who doesn’t notice The Kimberly Hart? The girl sat two front rows to the right of her chair in biology class. Even if Trini tried, she could not miss those legs graciously move when Kimberly shifted on her seat or as simple as crossing them. There was just no way to ignore… even if she was blind, she would still notice the scent of the girl’s perfume… or was that her lotion? Bottomline, there’s always been that fascination which drew Trini’s attention to the Queen Bee. 

It would not have been such an awful thing to routinely just watch and stare at the Kimberly at an arm’s length. It wasn’t like she was a creepy stalker fan of the head cheerleader. Trini never once intentionally sought out the other girl that was almost always followed by an entourage of stuck up, snotty high school girls who has Starbucks and the most studded cellphone cases permanently glued to their hands. No, Trini knew her boundaries when it came to school crushes. Her mom made sure of that. But it had seemed as though Kimberly would be - just there - wherever Trini looked. The one thing the tiny girl hasn’t done that would have kept her from eyeing the gorgeous cheerleader was for Trini to walk in public school hallways, with eyes shut, blindfolded, music blaring against her ears, nose pinched, blindly stare at her shoes - and all be done simultaneously. That was not even an option. So, she stayed true to her self-discipline and kept things to herself. 

Until one time, after shifting against her seat, Kimberly had turned back, looked over her left shoulder, caught Trini’s eyes with a drilling _**suggestive**_ grin, turned back to face the front of the class, and languidly crossed her legs. 

‘BA DUMP’ 

_I’m doomed._

Never had Trini felt like her chest weighed a ton, actually an anchor that weighed a ton that tugged on her chest. That it was about to explode out of chest. Like, she just got busted for doing something illegal, something worse than a felony, if that was possible. She didn’t know that anyone could forget how to breathe. Now, she does. Her thoughts focused on those two words she knew couldn’t be anymore true. Oh, she’s doomed. There was no possible way to get out of this. She’s extremely doomed. So, she did what she knew best. She kept that arm’s length distance and turned it into a mile long span. 

Trini had found a spot on top of the mines, where she can focus on her energy flow while listening to her music. After all, she had come to expect that by the end of this school year, she will be packing her things up again to move to another city with her parents. 

What came to her unexpectedly were 4 friends, who were willing to die for the team, a mentor posed as a talking head behind a wall, an android who would be the first to tell her about her connection to a giant mechanical saber-toothed tiger, her loyal yellow zord who had become her trusted partner in battlefield. 

Yup, the same giant mechanical tiger that shared her deepest adoration for the pink ranger. Trini could not have been any more thankful that the zords do not speak in English, otherwise, her secret would have been disclosed early on. How does a zord crush on another, anyway? But she has seen her yellow tiger animate glances towards other... animals? humans? rangers? zords? Does this mean her tiger would have preferred the pink ranger as its pilot? 

Trini lightly chuckles to herself and shakes her head at the turn of events that had taken in her time here in Angel Grove. With all these unexpected changes in her life - a sudden wave of unknown hit her. What would happen to the team when she moves to another city at the end of the school year?

The sound of rock shift brings Trini out of thoughts. Quickly looking around, her eyes, once again, caught the sight of Kimberly walking towards the pink Pterodactyl. _How long has Kim been here? Did she see me? And did she just check out my tiger?_

Trini’s memories bring her back to their battle against one of Lord Zed’s monster yesterday. She remembered being thrown off, hitting the ground pretty hard, and barely hearing Zack’s call. She had wanted to respond to Zack, but the striking pain that she had felt from her zord had her completely immobilized and was unable to say anything. The next thing she remembered was being hauled into the air, away from the battlefield, by the pink zord. 

_what’s going on?_

She remembered the burning sensation of her own pilot controls as she gripped them to head towards the guys. Her seat had felt heated, almost beyond warm comfort. Was her own zord burning? on fire? She couldn’t figure it out. All of her zord’s control were going haywire, and she was more than ready to blow up the damn monster. 

And annihilate, she did. 

Still within the dark confines of the boulder in front of her, Trini takes quiet steps to get a clearer view of Kimberly. Was the pink zord hurt? Maybe not. She had watched Kimberly walk out of the cave and back up to surface. 

Sigh.

At the sight of her yellow zord slightly opening one eye, peeking out, Trini knew that her tiger had felt her presence. She quickly placed her index finger against her lips, letting her zord know to stay quiet and not let anyone know she's around. The yellow saber-toothed tiger followed Trini's message and closed its eyes. 

Yes, among those 4 friends, one accepted her complications, and allow Trini to let her hair down, her tears flow, her heart beat, her fear to arise, her colors to bleed, only to blend with the pink aura, that is now her best-friend, her love, her reason, her dream that is Kimberly Hart.


	4. Collide [Part I:  Fight or Flight]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kimberly and Trini find that it's not easy having to have a "talk" with their zords.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been split in 2 different parts... please don't hate! :)

Collide [Part 1 of 2 - Calm before the storm]

“Okay, you guys. Let’s put them together one more time.” Jason leads the team to another practice of combining their megazord.

“Megazord activate!” Unified call, as all the rangers push buttons, turn switches, and pilot their respective zords in place. 

Jason’s zord twisted and turned to provide the torso. Zack and Billy’s zords mechanically shifted and attach to the torso to provide the legs. 

Trini’s saber-toothed tiger transformed to the megazord’s right arm, and Kimberly’s pterodactyl turns to provide the left arm. 

“Steady…” Jason instructs all the rangers, as the arms sets in place and attaches to the - 

“SCREEEEEEEEEECH” 

“ROAR”

“Oh no… no… no… no…” Kimberly knew that screech well enough to know she’s in trouble. She had felt a jolt of electricity as her zord slowly attaches to the megazord. Her control system has turned auto-pilot once again, preventing her from steering the flying zord in place. Her eyes quickly darts towards the yellow ranger having a hard time controlling the tiger.

“Seriously? You decide to act up now!?” She hears Trini address her zord. Kimberly chuckles to herself as she’s pretty sure the other rangers can hear the other girl as well. 

The yellow tiger has shifted back to its original form, with a deafening roar that can be heard from hundreds of miles away. 

“That’s it! You’re on a time-out!” Trini taunts her zord. 

Kimberly hears the rest of the rangers snicker at Trini’s ministrations towards her partner. And while she would like to join in on teasing the tiny ranger, her attention was on her own pterodactyl and regaining her control back. 

She felt her seat shifting in the cockpit, letting her know that her own zord has reverted back to its original form as well. 

Knowing that this practice session isn’t going any further, Jason called an end to their practice. “That’s it for now, you guys. We’ll try this again when the girls-“ 

“Watch out!” Kim screams at the armless megazord, as lasers from her own zord start shooting all around the gigantic zord, cutting off Jason’s thoughts. 

And in a blink of an eye, the three zords pulled apart and returned to their original form, retreating back to their resting place. 

The pink zord seemed to slow down at the sight of the other zords heading the opposite way. Kimberly sighs having gotten her control back. “We’re going back.”

With deliberate focus on maneuvering her zord, she made sure that she kept in control until she can return her partner to rest. 

“Rex, Blue, Mastadon, Ptero… we’re missing one.” Billy counts and points out that the yellow is missing. Everyone has been way too preoccupied in finding their safety that no one’s noticed the yellow tiger had gone the opposite way from the rest of the team. 

“Let’s split up. We’ll be able to cover more distance that way.” Jason instructs the team, sounding worried. “Billy, you and Zack cover north from here, and Kim and I will cover southern area. Meet back in an hour, if not sooner.”

Zack gives Kimberly a faint smile, almost a knowing stare. “I’m not going. I think Trini needs this time with her zord. Besides, it’s time for dinner, and I’ve got to get something prep’ed for mom.”

“I agree with Zack. Even I know I need my own time with pinky here.” Kimberly adds while she gently pats her zord. 

“Billy?” Jason turns to the blue ranger, asking for his opinion. 

“Hey, whatever works for everyone. I know that it wasn’t easy when I first got on my zord. Zack and Kim’s got a point, and so do you, Jace. I’m also concerned for her safety.” Billy tries to reason out, listening to the other ranger’s opinion. 

“All set then. We’ll give them tonight to themselves. But if they’re not back by morning practice, we’re looking.” Jason calls it a night and heads out to the quarry with the rangers. 

“I’m going to stay for a bit and check to make sure nothing is damaged from the shock ptero got earlier. I won’t stay long. And besides, if and when Trin comes back, we can walk home together.” Kimberly informs the guys as they all go home.

“Alright, but if anything comes up and you need help, you know how to get a hold of us.” Jason replies as he walks out with the rest of the guys. 

Kimberly turns back to her zord and slowly closes the short distance between them. She runs her fingertips lightly through a scrape on her zord’s left wing. She listens to the painful screech emanating from her partner. The discomfort radiates along her left arm. “So it’s not just our suits that connects me to you, huh?” Feeling her zord lightly nudge her tells her than they *do* understand each other. So, she tries to get to the bottom of her zord going haywire on her. 

“Do you not want to be a part of the megazord?” No response. 

“Okay… do you prefer the yellow ranger to pilot you instead?” Kimberly was quick to duck as the head of her zord swiftly turns towards her way, almost hitting her head. “Okay! Alright!” 

And with a softer tone, Kimberly continues. She had to know. “But you will make sure the yellow tiger is safe, won’t you?” A slight nod gave Kimberly her answer. “And the other zords, too?” She was answered by a faint screech. She looks up as the cockpit door opens up, telling her to go in. “I don’t have my armor on.” 

It is true. Kimberly has never piloted her zord without her armor. She knew that the zords attach themselves to a part of their armour. Without morphing, there was no way to secure her seat in. 

She watches her pterodactyl lower its head down, so Kimberly can climb on it and settle inside the cockpit. And she found herself climbing inside and lodging onto her seat. Slowly, seatbelts stretch over her shoulders, securing her in place. New controls come up on her console, completely different from her usual ranger setup. Kimberly lightly rubs the dashboard of her console “I trust you, but please keep the tantrums to a minimum.” Her attention came to the door closing and her zord slightly lifting itself off the ground. 

“Let’s go find them.”

============================================================

It wasn’t hard to identify a gigantic, yellow, saber-toothed mechanical zord, laying down on its paws in the middle of a green pasteur, with no buildings or skyscrapers to camouflage it. 

It wasn’t as though Trini was actually hiding. She just had to pull her temperamental tiger away from the other zords to keep them from getting hurt. She had asked Kimberly about losing control of the flying zord. But even with all the feelings that Kimberly shared with her, Trini had no clue how it really felt to completely lose any control of a huge, charging, mechanical tiger that can stomp and squash…. uhhhh - humans?

Calling off her armor then jumping off her zord, Trini walks up to the front of her zord, confronting the tiger. “You wanna explain to me what you pulled back there? Is that something you’re gonna be doing every now and then? Or at least, give me a heads up when you’re gonna go on a temper spell.” She gets a “huff” from her zord. 

What do you have to say for yourself? You could’ve hurt the other rangers! You could’ve hurt Kim!” Trini storms. _God, I’m starting to sound like my parents._

ROAR

“Oh, okay. I get it now. I mention Kim’s name and you decide to finally to talk to me? I see how it is.” Trini knows that she’s being belligerent towards her zord. But if this was the only way to get *any* reaction from her partner, like hell, she will try being the belligerent ranger than she can be. 

“Do you want her to be your ranger partner instead?” She’s pushing it. 

The yellow tiger only turns its head away from Trini as an answer. 

“Then what is it? You have to tell me something, show me something… anything!” The tiger stands up on its legs, towering over the tiny ranger. And much to Trini’s surprise, she gets a gentle nuzzle from her yellow partner. And what’s more surprising was that she found the act calming her nerves down. 

Trini found her hands gently rubbing her zord’s head. Taking a deep breath, she knew that deep down, the bond she shares with her zord was unbreakable. Without her armor on, her zord still recognizes her as its rider. So, no… it wasn’t because of their armor. 

“It’s alright. I’m sure you’ll go off on tantrums again, anyway.” Trini takes a deep breath and chuckles. “But you’re gonna have to take your rightful place as the right arm of the megazord one of these days, you know?” She tells her zord, with an almost mocking tone. 

With the yellow zord’s head still low, the door to the driver’s area opens up. 

“What now? I can’t get in there without my suit on, you know that?” 

Just then, the saber-toothed tiger leans its head further down, mouth opening, giving Trini the impression that she was going to get eaten by her very own zord. “Okay! Okay!”

She steps a bit back away from her tiger, about to morph, so she’s able to get in her zord when they both hear a faint screech in the distance. As quick as they each turn their heads towards the source of the high-pitched sound, they both realize that the incoming party was headed for them. Trini turns to her tiger with a huge grin on her face and with her momentum, jumps up to the rider’s area, forgetting to morph altogether. “It’s playtime.” Trini laughs.

She slowly felt seatbelts that she has never seen before secure her on her seat and new controls on her system that she has no idea how to operate. “I trust you know we’re gonna get in a ginormous trouble for this, right?” Trini clues in her partner. 

ROAR

She closes her door and sets her control to hyper speed, running along the green pasteur away from the pinkness that’s about to come after them.


	5. Collide II:  Into the Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just like she thought... Kimberly redefines the term "just there"

Collide II

it cannot be this ridiculous!

It’s like a disgruntled Romeo and Juliet version of Tom and Jerry. 

You know, the classic game of cat and mouse, where one runs and the other chases. But it’s not just a game. Nope, not in the very least. They’ve gone through, literally, life and death battles and challenges. They have this whole pact thing that they will die for each other. Yes, the guys, too. And they have gone through rigorous biology exams together, for crying out loud! All those last minute study crams, or the late night project hustles, and the agony of waiting that one last minute that seemed to last for an eternity before the bell rings.

Yep. What Trini and Kimberly have is so much more than just a game of cat and mouse chase, much much more. Because for Trini, this whole ordeal of running away doesn’t just reiterate that mile long distance that she has flawlessly perfected, it also means denying herself a chance of happiness. She knew that Kimberly wasn’t going to shun her for the way she felt. No, she knows enough that Kimberly will accept her for who she is. But that doesn’t mean that the taller girl will return her feelings back. Trini has known Kimberly to be one very affectionate person, both in her actions and in her words, which usually leave Trini with a heated flush. It’s always been easy enough for Kimberly to wrap her arms around the yellow ranger at the most random moments and places, a peck on cheek every now and then, a grip on Trini’s wrist at any given time, or the way the pink ranger would easily reach out and seek Trini’s hands and lace their fingers together. Their hold fits just right. Whatever it may be, there is always that completeness that enveloped them in each other’s presence. 

And OMG, that smile. The one that Trini has never seen Kimberly give to any of the guys. 

Okay, so Trini keeps her hopes up. She always dreams. But at the end of it all, she knew that girls like Kimberly always end up with guys like Jason, the popular jock, surrounded by his harem of mindless players. Plus, by the time this school year’s over, her family is bound to head off to another city, and for her to leave her friends behind… Leave Kimberly Ann Hart behind. 

So, how in the world did she find herself in this Tom and Jerry predicament again? Because Kimberly is always there - just there... there, meaning wherever Trini happens to look, as she takes a quick glance over her shoulder to see the pink Pterodactyl right behind her. Because all of a sudden, Kimberly surrounded Trini’s world, and the cage that Kimberly offered was warm, comfortable, and safe.

It’s like a fucking deja vu! Kimberly chasing after a running Trini, over and over. 

Now that she thinks about it, the first time was when the mine’s security alarm went off. She had seen Kimberly walking with Jason Scott before the explosion happened. They were at a secluded spot and looked like having an intimate conversation. So, how did Kimberly end up running away from the mine’s security with Trini instead of Jason…? she’ll never know. 

And then, the day after their “van-accident-that-never-happened” when she thought that it was only the crazy ass asian guy that was running after her while she scaled the hills. But no —. There’s Kimberly Hart running after her again, passing up the insane guy named Zack.

There’s also that one time in the ship, after asking the head behind the wall “… if I’m a ranger, will these doors open for me?” She sprinted out of that 65 million year old underwater spaceship, and lo and behold, there was Kimberly right behind her again. 

Bringing her focus back at the task on hand, Trini steps on the pedals, pushing her tiger to run just a bit faster. “C’mon Tiggy! You can’t be this slow!” Trini smirks, egging her yellow companion. For once, she found comfort in not having to wear her armor, so Kimberly doesn’t hear her through their helmet.

She maneuvers her tiger to swerve through the distance, finding comfort in the usual cat and mouse chase that they’ve come to get used to. But she knew deep down, try as she might… she will never run too far away from Kimberly. There was a pull that tugs deep into her thoughts, an ache pounding right against her chest, the breath that she can’t seem to catch, and the familiar solace she finds with the taller girl. 

"Catch me if you can, Princessa."

**Author's Note:**

> shall I end here?... or keep going? any input is welcomed.


End file.
